


Like Starlight

by innietype



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Demons, Established Relationship, Fluff, Holding Hands, Howl's Moving Castle AU, Insecure Yang Jeongin | I.N, International Fanworks Day 2021, M/M, Magic, Multi, Polyamory, Promises, chan is sophie, felix is markl, hyunjin is howl, jeongin is calcifer, jisung is prince justin, might become a full fic??, pre-poly ot8, this is way too long to be considered a drabble but whatever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:53:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29461566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innietype/pseuds/innietype
Summary: Jeongin sees a demon. Chan sees a beautiful star who fell from the sky and made his life worth living.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Everyone, Bang Chan/Han Jisung/Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin/Lee Felix/Lee Minho/Seo Changbin/Yang Jeongin, Bang Chan/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Poly OT8, Stray Kids Ensemble/Everyone, Yang Jeongin | I.N/Everyone
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21
Collections: Drabbles Challenge for Chaotic Writers





	Like Starlight

**Author's Note:**

> This is for International Fanworks Day 2021! One note about this universe: this story takes place after the events of Howl's Moving Castle the movie. But I've also included details from the book series. And all the characters are the same age as they are in real life. I'm thinking about turning this universe into a full length fic so let me know if you think that's a good idea.
> 
> Enjoy!

A bed of glowing embers fades in and out, their fiery rivets illuminating Jeongin’s skin in red and orange hues. They are gathered around an iron chair which is always searing hot, and nearly always occupied by the demon. He rests there, head pillowed in the crook of his arm. Chan pulls a chair away from the dining table and places it opposite him with little commotion. Jeongin stirs, sensing the movement, and as Chan takes a seat a pair of vibrant blue eyes meet his own. He smiles.

“Good morning,” he begins.

Jeongin yawns, stretching his limbs in the cramped space, knuckles brushing the broiling metal. He ruffles a hand through his black hair, causing bits and pieces of hot ash to fall out and burn orange against the stone fireplace. Their knees are aligned, touching in parallel places though the thick stone, and it’s as close as they can be.

“Morning,” he says. His irises glow brighter than the dim fire, a beacon in the dimly lit front room. “Isn’t it still dark outside?”

“It is. It’s quite early in the morning actually.”

Jeongin nods, leaning forward to press his elbows into the bricks. “The others asleep?”

He hums. “They’re all upstairs.” The hue of light which constantly surrounds Jeongin has become brighter, and more alert. Phasing slowly; growing more conscious and awake by the second like the flames have a mind of their own. It’s always fascinated Chan the way that works. Their eyes disconnect as Jeongin leans back into his chair. “You look beautiful.”

Some of the light orange wisps at the base of the chair turn red and their eyes meet with perfect synchronicity. Chan remembers Jeongin when the young star fell from the sky and landed in Hyunjin’s waiting embrace. A scared little thing that didn’t want to burn out on the lonely earth. He remembers Hyunjin’s hands on Jeongin’s bare arms as he held him close and they whispered promises to each other. Call it a curse—and that’s what the pair _had_ called it for many years—but Chan thinks the sight of it was beautiful. Hyunjin pulled the demon to his chest and sealed their now shared fate with a kiss, just as Chan called out to them both before being plunged into the dark void the wizard Hyunjin had created. It was the first time they saw him; just barely grown out of childhood. But Chan was more than acquainted with the two by that point.

Hyunjin and Jeongin had been together long before Chan came into the picture; the latter quite _literally_ carrying the wizard’s heart with him since they were young. But Jeongin is reserved underneath his sarcastic exterior, content to sit by and watch Chan and Hyunjin fall in love as two humans, who could hold each other and love each other in a normal fashion. Things like that aren’t written in the fate of demons. So as the couple and their family of wanderers traveled the skies of Ingary, Jeongin was content with simply being the conductor of the castle, and the one who held the whole thing together.

He looks down with a quiet, “Thank you.”

“You know, you’re gonna have to get used to that if we’re gonna be together,” Chan jabs.

He huffs a small laugh. “Yeah, I guess.”

Jisung, is much less shy about his romantic interests. The prince of Ingary’s neighboring kingdom had been cursed by Hyunjin’s former enemy, the Witch of the Waste, and turned into a scarecrow. Chan had affectionately dubbed him ‘Turnip Head’ upon their first meeting, and the disguised prince had fallen in love with the traveler. At the time he’d also been cursed by the witch, leaving him in the body of a much older version of himself. When Chan broke the spell and returned the prince to normalcy, Jisung became even more taken by the former hatter. His visits to Hyunjin’s castle were frequent, and he developed friendships with the other occupants of the house, especially Felix, Hyunjin’s apprentice—practically inseparable they are. They all have Jisung to thank for spewing the pot of romantic feelings which had been festering for some time within the walls of the castle.

Out of everybody, Chan admires Jisung the most for his blunt displays of affection. In comparison, Jeongin seems to be more fearful of their relationship than anything.

“Do you really want to do this?”

Jeongin looks up, half terrified by the question. “Of course.” There isn’t a hint of doubt there, and Chan suspected there’d be none.

“What’s wrong then?” Jeongin deflates a bit, coming down from the brief panic he’d felt a moment ago. His blue eyes pierce Chan’s heart and make it ache for warmth and _touch_. “Tell me, love.”

The pieces are chipped away by the word. Jeongin remains silent while the calm hum of engines carry them through the early morning sky, a constant exercise of his powers. One which they’re all eternally grateful for. “It’s not fair to you,” he answers.

“What’s not?”

He produces a sardonic laugh, quite to his character. It disheartens Chan to hear the pain behind it. “You have to make all these concessions for me because of what I am. We’re not even supposed to be capable of having feelings like these anyways…” he trails, glancing at the little pup, Kkami, asleep in the corner of the room. A stray, like themselves, who’d joined them on their travels and chose to stay. “Demons aren’t supposed to, I mean. And you’re forced to exert your magical power and energy just to _touch_ me, and at that it’s only a power Hyunjin—and on the rarest of occasions, you—possess.”

A still sadness hangs in the air. Some of the flames sport blue hues. “You do so much for us Jeongin. This place would fall apart without you, _literally_. Your magic holds everything together.”

He pauses. “You still can’t… have a normal relationship with me.”

Chan reaches out to him and Jeongin quickly retracts his hands from the stone barrier between them. Chan whispers small assurances to the fire, asking it to move and dissipate. He takes Jeongin’s hand in his own, still hot but no longer scorching and burning with dancing flickers. He presses cool lips to the demon’s skin, and by the firm grip tightening around his hand Chan figures Jeongin is reveling in the contact. His eyes are fixed on Chan’s figure, observing the wonderful magic before him. “They aren’t concessions. We wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

He remarks, “Well, I wish I could.”

Chan brings their hands to the stone, his other palm moving to cover the exposed skin on the back of the demon’s hand. “Do you love me, Jeongin?”

He hesitates for a moment, and Chan sees his insecurities refracted through fulgent, sky blue lenses. Still, they look at him with complete adoration. Jeongin nods.

“Do you love Hyunjin? And Felix and Jisung?”

Another nod.

“Isn’t that enough then?”

His eyes focus on Chan’s chest, staring remorsefully into the dark blue fabric. “Of course you’re enough,” he whispers. “You always will be, but I can’t help feeling selfish. Like I’m holding you back because you can’t hold me or kiss me whenever you want like the others.”

He traces circles across Jeongin’s skin. “You don’t. I promise. And I know it might be hard to believe, but I’ll keep trying to prove it to you. I care about you just as much as I care about the others, and they feel the same way.”

The fire seems to be creeping up Jeongin’s wrist once again, inching closer to Chan’s fingers. He regretfully retracts his hand, letting Chan’s warmth and magic seep from his skin. “I _am_ a selfish demon, you know. Or just incredibly lucky, I don’t know. We’re all supposed to lead short lives in the sky and then fall to the ground and burn out. But Hyunjin caught me, and I was so terrified and young, and he told me he could save me—he gave me his _heart_ and I clung to it for years. I got a sense of what it’s like to be human—at least how _you_ humans are. And now I’ve fallen for you even though that’s not any demon’s place.”

Chan listens carefully. “Maybe you’re a little more human-like than normal for your kind.” He smiles, and Jeongin appears amused as well. “That doesn’t make you selfish. You’re just like the rest of us. And if anything, we’re the lucky ones. Like you said, it’s not every day regular people get to fall in love with powerful fire demons.” He laughs. “I’m serious Innie, we don’t deserve you.”

“Go to bed.”

“What? You want to get rid of me now?”

“God knows how long you’ve been up, let’s be honest.”

Chan grins. “Aw, you know me so well.” He stands, returning the chair to its place at the table. “You should get some sleep before breakfast, too.”

He sighs, a high-pitched groan ringing through the air. It makes Chan fear for the unconsciousness of his other companions. “Of course. Before you all make me use more of my magic to feed you. You should just buy a gas stove at this point! They’re exceedingly popular with the rich folk I hear, from Jisung at least.”

“Like I said, we don’t deserve you Yang Jeongin.” He walks towards the staircase, the floor creaking a bit with each step. “Goodnight.”

After a moment, as Chan reaches the first landing on the staircase, he hears a small, “I love you.”

He gazes at Jeongin from beyond the wooden beam. A soft, “Love you, too,” and he continues his upward trek. Before Jeongin is out of sight, Chan catches him with his palms covering his face and an audience of red flames popping like quiet fireworks. He smiles, his own face burning with the same sentiment.


End file.
